Kratom Strain Chart: Comparing Effects, Colors, and What to Expect

Is kratom an effective pain reliever? House and Senate proposed legislation to prevent the FDA from regulating kratom more stringently than they do a dietary supplement or a food additive, in order to keep the product accessible to consumers. Seven states and some counties have banned the sale of kratom. So kratom is currently listed as a “drug of concern.” In other words, one kratom product could be more dangerous than another. This is very common for natural products, since the cells of the plant make a variety of chemicals for different purposes.

Is natural kratom affected by 7-OH regulations?

“I look fit and super healthy, so people would be surprised that this was an issue,” he said. He started taking kratom capsules regularly five years ago and then two years ago turned to a kratom drink called Feel Free. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom to be used for any purpose and warns consumers of “serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder.” Industry insiders and kratom critics say they are closely watching the medical examiner’s findings. The office would not disclose whether it will test for kratom, though it has screened for the plant’s active components in past death investigations.

Elite Red Vein Sumatra Kratom Powder

“In the past two years, I have noticed an increased number of people coming to my clinic for the treatment of kratom addiction,” Volpicelli said. Its popularity has soared in the US in recent years, with many turning to it as a so-called natural fix for pain, anxiety, depression and even to kick opioid addiction. According to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’s launching a federal crackdown on 7-OH — the synthetic byproduct of the kratom plant — it’s dangerous. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced plans to crack down on kratom, a plant ingredient whose opioid-like qualities have rattled health officials. But unlike traditional opioids, which also act on your μ receptors, kratom’s effects tend to be milder and more functional, depending on the dose and the strain.

Extracted from leaves of an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia, kratom is used as a painkiller and an energy booster in various drinks, powders, gummies and capsules. “It’d be healthy, not just for the long line of constituents of Boston, but also helping the state look at overall what folks are saying and taking the proper action to do a statewide ban on synthetic kratom.” The group would also support a ban on synthetic kratom, he said, as long as it’s “properly defined” to capture the production of 7-OH and other chemical compounds. Trouville’s son Tyrell died of mitragynine toxicity in 2024 after, she said, he regularly drank kratom products and considered it safe and natural.

• At brick-and-mortar kratom shops, it’s a little trickier.
• A shadow market has emerged for Chinese users to get access to foreign software tools.
• Davenport, a nurse practitioner, had never heard of kratom until it appeared in her son’s toxicology report.
• The Coleman Institute in Richmond said at the beginning of this year that 75% of their calls were related to kratom and 7-OH.

In a human dose-finding safety study conducted under FDA oversight, healthy adult participants consumed kratom doses up to 12 grams of leaf material without experiencing serious adverse events. The scientific evidence increasingly demonstrates why policymakers must distinguish between these chemically manipulated opioids and natural kratom. Whole-leaf kratom powder and full-spectrum extracts with natural alkaloid ratios generally remain legal in locations where kratom itself is permitted. Natural kratom remains legal for adults, but enhanced products face scrutiny. The FDA's recommendation specifically targets concentrated and synthetic 7-OH products. The FDA draws a hard line between trace amounts in whole-leaf kratom and the concentrated versions showing up in gas stations and smoke shops.

Legislation that would have made a permanent ban (including a proposed Schedule I status for 7-OH above a set threshold) did not pass during the 2026 session, leaving the future of the restriction uncertain heading into July. The FDA has stated repeatedly that 7-OH is not permitted in dietary supplements or conventional foods and that there are no FDA-approved drugs containing it. It pushes people into different behavior, and often into more dangerous behavior. They may go back to opioids, including pills or powders laced with fentanyl, which is already driving the overdose crisis.

A company spokesperson added, "If anyone has concerns about potential overuse, we strongly recommend they do not consume our products." "That's how they're marketed. They're wellness drinks. And we're just seeing that people are developing, very quickly, addictive behaviors and very severe withdrawal very fast." "What we're learning, over the years, is that there does seem to be a kratom use disorder emerging," he said. "I started working on this over 20 years ago," said Christopher McCurdy, an internationally recognized kratom expert and professor of medicinal chemistry at University of Florida Health.

To reduce risk of overdose, anyone who may use 7-OH is advised to never mix with alcohol or other drugs, know the signs of overdose, and carry naloxone. That policy is — and remains — our most health‑protective stance, and we appreciate partnership with ABC, CDTFA, and others in enforcing the law to protect Californians, especially our most vulnerable.” Stay informed with ScienceDaily's free email newsletter, updated daily and weekly. However, reports also increased significantly among people ages 40 to 59, indicating broader use across age groups. (Its effectiveness in reducing opioid cravings has not been thoroughly evaluated.) She is now feeling better and hasn’t had any cravings for it, she said.

Extract-based shots and tinctures may produce effects lasting 5-7 hours. Standard Kratom teas and drink mixes typically produce effects lasting 3-5 hours. A Kratom extract is a concentrated preparation where alkaloids have been isolated and intensified making it significantly more potent per milliliter. High-potency shots may contain significantly more concentrated alkaloid content. However, a handful of states and some municipalities have enacted local restrictions or bans. Combining Kratom with alcohol or other substances may increase unwanted effects, learn more Q Kratom about mixing Kratom and alcohol.

He had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, she said, and also had chronic shoulder pain from a surgery. Hartman admitted that she did not know much about what was in kratom when she first tried it. Emmy Hartman, a TikTok influencer who has posted about kratom, fits into that last group. Then there are users with anxiety, depression or some other mood disorder, and finally a group that simply enjoys the stimulant effects.